1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a face detecting apparatus and to a method of controlling this apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
When the image of a subject is sensed continuously as in the case of a moving picture or so-called “through-image”, there are instances where, in order to bring a portion of the image of the main subject such as the face of a person into focus, the portion of the image that is the image of the face is detected. Such prior art includes a technique for detecting the face-image portion and bringing the eyes into focus (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-215403), a technique for controlling a zoom position in conformity with the size of the face (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-217187) and a technique for detecting a plurality of face-image portions and consolidating face-image portions in accordance with an operation performed by a user (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-128793).
Further, there are also instances where a face-image portion cannot be detected if the face of the subject is oriented sideways. If the face-image portion cannot be detected, a problem that can result is that processing that utilizes the face-image portion (processing for bringing the face-image portion into focus) will not be executed stably. For this reason, there is a technique for interpolating face information from preceding and succeeding images if a face can no longer be detected during continuous shooting (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-128793).
However, processing for interpolating face information is comparatively complicated.
Furthermore, there are instances where the face-image portion of the same person cannot be kept track of if the subject moves.